DE102012106433B4 - relay - Google Patents

Abstract

A relay comprising: two stators (13) each having a plate shape and each having a fixed contact (14), and a movable member (23) having a plate shape and having movable contacts (25) arranged in a arrangement direction of the movable contact, the movable element (23) being movable in a moving direction of the movable element so that the movable contacts (25) respectively come into contact with the fixed contacts (14) to close an electric circuit, and the moving contacts (25) separating from the fixed contacts (14) to open the electric circuit, the moving element (23) having two moving contact mounting plates (230) on which respectively the moving contacts (25) are fixed, a coupling plate (232) for the movable element, which extends in the arrangement direction of the movable contact and two plates (231, 234) for the movable che members placed outside or inside the movable contact mounting plates (230) in the movable contact arranging direction, wherein the movable contact mounting plates (230) and the movable member plates (231, 234) are parallel to a reference direction (Z), that is, perpendicular to both the arranging direction of the movable contact and the moving direction of the movable member, and coupled to each other at one end side in the reference direction (Z), with another end side connected to the coupling plate (232) for the movable member is coupled, each stator (13) having a fixed contact mounting plate (132) to which the fixed contact (14) is fixed, and a stator plate (133, 134) disposed outside or inside the mounting plate (132) for the fixed contact is placed in the arranging direction for the movable contact, where si ch the fixed contact mounting plate (132) and the stator plate (133, 134) extend parallel to the reference direction (Z) and are coupled to each other at one end side in the reference direction (Z), each of the stators (13) having a stator neighborhood having a plate portion adjacent to the movable element (23), and wherein the movable element (23) has a movable element proximity plate portion adjacent to the stators (13), wherein a direction of current flowing in the stator proximity plate portions is selected is to be the same as a direction of current flowing in the adjacency plate portion of the movable element to generate an interplate attractive force for attracting the adjacency plate portion of the movable element to the stator adjacency plate portions, and wherein the adjacency Plate portion of the movable member by the inter-plate attraction force is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts (25) into contact with the fixed contacts (14).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present disclosure relates to a relay for opening and closing an electrical circuit.

BACKGROUND

In a conventional relay, stators, which have fixed contacts, are positioned and a movable member, which has movable contacts, is moved. An electrical circuit is completed by bringing the movable contacts into contact with the fixed contacts. The electrical circuit is opened by separating the moving contacts from the fixed contacts. More specifically, the conventional relay has a movable member which is attracted by an electromagnetic force of a coil, a contact pressure spring for biasing the movable member in a direction to bring the movable contacts into contact with the fixed contacts, and a return spring for biasing the movable member through the movable element in a direction to separate the movable contacts from the fixed contacts.

When the coil is energized, the movable member is urged in a direction to separate from the movable member by the electromagnetic force. The movable member is biased by the contact pressure spring to move so that the movable contacts come into contact with the fixed contacts. Then the moving part separates from the moving element (see for example Japanese Patent No. 3,321,963 ).

In an electrical switch according to U.S. 4,467,301A with a bridging contact movable to engage or not with a pair of fixed contacts, at least one of the terminal elements carrying the fixed contacts comprises a strip of sheet metal folded back over itself to form a loop-shaped current path with first and second conductive portions extending substantially parallel to the bridging contact on opposite sides proximate thereto. The electrodynamic attractive force developing between the bridging contact and the first conductive portion of the one terminal adds to the electrodynamic repulsive forces developing between the bridging contact and the second conductive portion of the one terminal to increase the contact pressure between the bridging contact and the fixed contacts during excessive currents occur.

The patent document JP 2008 - 226 547 A discloses the provision of a small electromagnetic relay having a sufficient arc extinguishing performance regardless of the direction of a current flowing to a contact part. This electromagnetic relay has a coil that generates a magnetic force by feeding a current, contact parts that are opened/closed by the magnetic force, and arc-extinguishing magnetic bodies that are placed on the sides of the contact parts and used for extending and extinguishing arcs generated at the contact parts. Arc-extinguishing spaces for expanding the arc by a Lorentz force based on the magnetic flux of the arc-extinguishing magnet body are arranged on both sides of each arc-extinguishing magnet body in a direction perpendicular to the opening/closing direction of the contact part and a magnetic pole direction of the arc-extinguishing magnet body.

An electromagnetic relay according to EP 2 221 846 A2 comprises a coil, a movable element, first and second fixed contact carriers having first and second fixed contacts, respectively, and a movable body having first and second movable contacts. A third fixed contact is arranged on the second fixed contact carrier at a position away from a line passing through the first and second fixed contacts, and a third movable contact is arranged on the movable body. When the movable member is driven by the electromagnetic force of the coil, the movable contacts and the fixed contacts touch at a contact portion between the first fixed contact and the first movable contact, a contact portion between the second fixed contact and the second movable contact, and a contact portion between the third fixed contact and the third movable contact.

Further prior art is in JP S59- 211 928 A disclosed.

SHORT VERSION

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a relay which can limit separation between movable contacts and fixed contacts due to an electromagnetic repulsive force of the contact portion.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. More advantageous execution tion forms and further developments are the subject of the subsequent claims.

A relay according to a first aspect of the present disclosure has two stators and a movable element. Each of the stators has a plate shape and has a fixed contact. The movable element has a plate shape and has movable contacts. The movable element is movable such that the movable contacts respectively come into contact with the fixed contacts to close an electrical circuit and the movable contacts separate from the fixed contacts to open the electrical circuit. Each of the stators has a stator adjacency plate portion adjacent to the moveable member and the moveable member has a moveable member adjacency plate portion adjacent to the stators. A direction of a current flowing in the stator adjacent plate portions is selected to be the same as a direction of a current flowing in the adjacent plate portion of the movable member to generate an inter-plate attractive force for attracting the adjacent plate portion of the moving member to the stator proximate plate sections. The adjacency plate portion of the movable member is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts into contact with the fixed contacts by the inter-plate attraction force.

The relay according to the first aspect can restrict disconnection between the movable contacts and the fixed contacts even during large current power supply.

A relay according to a second aspect of the present disclosure has two stators and a movable element. Each of the stators has a plate shape and has a fixed contact. The movable element has a plate shape and has movable contacts. The movable member is configured to move such that the movable contacts come into contact with the fixed contacts to close an electrical circuit and the movable contacts separate from the fixed contacts to open the electrical circuit, respectively. Each of the stators has a stator-proximity plate portion adjacent to the moveable member, and the moveable member has a moveable-member-proximity plate portion adjacent to the stators. A direction of current flowing in one of the stator adjacent plate sections is chosen to be opposite to a direction of current flowing in the adjacent plate section of the movable member to generate an inter-plate repulsive force flowing in a direction toward Separating the movable member's neighborhood plate portion from the stator neighborhood plate portions acts. The adjacency plate portion of the movable member is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contact into contact with the fixed contacts by the inter-plate repulsive force.

Also, the relay according to the second aspect can restrict disconnection between the movable contacts and the fixed contacts even during large current power supply.

character list

• 1 eine Querschnittsansicht, welche ein Relais gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 2 eine Querschnittsansicht, welche das Relais, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie II-II in 1 zeigt;
• 3A eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in dem Relais gemäß der ersten Ausführungsform,
• 3B eine Draufsicht auf das bewegliche Element in 3A, und
• 3C eine Draufsicht auf die Statoren in 3A;
• 4A eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung,
• 4B eine Draufsicht auf das bewegliche Element in 4A, und
• 4C eine Draufsicht auf die Statoren in 4A;
• 5 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines bewegliches Elements und von Statoren gemäß einer ersten Abwandlung der zweiten Ausführungsform;
• 6 eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element und Statoren gemäß einer zweiten Abwandlung der zweiten Ausführungsform;
• 7 eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element, Statoren und einen Magneten gemäß einer dritten Abwandlung der zweiten Ausführungsform;
• 8 eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer dritten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung;
• 9 eine Draufsicht auf ein bewegliches Element, Statoren und einen Magneten gemäß einer ersten Abwandlung der dritten Ausführungsform;
• 10A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer vierten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt, und
• 10B eine Draufsicht auf die Statoren in 10A;
• 11A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer fünften Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt,
• 11B eine Draufsicht auf das bewegliche Element in 11A, und
• 11C eine Draufsicht auf die Statoren in 11A;
• 12 eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element, Statoren und einen Magneten gemäß einer ersten Abwandlung der fünften Ausführungsform zeigt;
• 13 eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element, Statoren und einen Magneten gemäß einer zweiten Abwandlung der fünften Ausführungsform zeigt;
• 14A eine Draufsicht auf einen Querschnitt, welcher ein bewegliches Element, Statoren und eine Basis gemäß einer dritten Abwandlung der fünften Ausführungsform zeigt,
• 14B eine Draufsicht auf das bewegliche Element in 14A, und
• 14C eine Draufsicht auf die Statoren in 14A;
• 15 eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements, der Statoren und der Basis aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XV-XV in 14A;
• 16A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer sechsten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt,
• 16B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 16A, und
• 16C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XVIC-XVIC in 16A;
• 17A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer siebten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 17B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 17A, und
• 17C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XVIIC-XVIIC in 17A;
• 18A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer achten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 18B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 18A, und
• 18C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XVIIIC-XVIIIC in 18A;
• 19 eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer neunten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 20 ein Diagramm, welches Konfigurationen eines beweglichen Elements und Statoren in einem Relais und eine externe elektrische Schaltung gemäß einer zehnten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 21A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer elften Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt, und
• 21B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 21A;
• 22 eine Querschnittsansicht, welche ein Relais gemäß einer zwölften Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt;
• 23 eine Querschnittsansicht des Relais, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XXIII-XXIII in 22;
• 24A eine Draufsicht, welche das bewegliche Element und die Statoren in dem Relais in 22 zeigt,
• 24B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 24A, und
• 24C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XXIVC-XXIVC in 24A;
• 25A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer dreizehnten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt,
• 25B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 25A, und
• 25C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XXVC-XXVC in 25A; und
• 26A eine Draufsicht, welche ein bewegliches Element und Statoren in einem Relais gemäß einer vierzehnten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Offenbarung zeigt,
• 26B eine Vorderansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren in 26A, und
• 26C eine Querschnittsansicht des beweglichen Elements und der Statoren, aufgenommen entlang einer Linie XXVIC-XXVIC in 26A.

Additional objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings are:

• 1 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a relay according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 2 a cross-sectional view showing the relay taken along a line II-II in 1 displays;
• 3A a plan view of a movable element and stators in the relay according to the first embodiment,
• 3B a plan view of the movable element in 3A , and
• 3C a top view of the stators in 3A ;
• 4A a plan view of a movable element and stators in a relay according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure,
• 4B a plan view of the movable element in 4A , and
• 4C a top view of the stators in 4A ;
• 5 14 is a perspective view of a movable member and stators according to a first modification of the second embodiment;
• 6 12 is a plan view of a movable member and stators according to a second modification of the second embodiment;
• 7 12 is a plan view of a movable member, stators, and a magnet according to a third modification of the second embodiment;
• 8th 12 is a plan view of a movable element and stators in a relay according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 9 12 is a plan view of a movable member, stators, and a magnet according to a first modification of the third embodiment;
• 10A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, and
• 10B a top view of the stators in 10A ;
• 11A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 11B a plan view of the movable element in 11A , and
• 11C a top view of the stators in 11A ;
• 12 12 is a plan view showing a movable element, stators, and a magnet according to a first modification of the fifth embodiment;
• 13 12 is a plan view showing a movable member, stators, and a magnet according to a second modification of the fifth embodiment;
• 14A 12 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a movable member, stators, and a base according to a third modification of the fifth embodiment;
• 14B a plan view of the movable element in 14A , and
• 14C a top view of the stators in 14A ;
• 15 a cross-sectional view of the movable element, the stators and the base taken along a line XV-XV in FIG 14A ;
• 16A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 16B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 16A , and
• 16C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XVIC-XVIC in FIG 16A ;
• 17A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 17B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 17A , and
• 17C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XVIIC-XVIIC in FIG 17A ;
• 18A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 18B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 18A , and
• 18C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XVIIIC-XVIIIC in FIG 18A ;
• 19 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 20 12 is a diagram showing configurations of a movable element and stators in a relay and an external electric circuit according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 21A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure, and
• 21B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 21A ;
• 22 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a relay according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure;
• 23 Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the relay taken along a line XXIII-XXIII in Fig 22 ;
• 24A 12 is a plan view showing the movable element and the stators in the relay in FIG 22 displays,
• 24B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 24A , and
• 24C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XXIVC-XXIVC in FIG 24A ;
• 25A a plan view showing a moving element and stators in a relay according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure,
• 25B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 25A , and
• 25C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XXVC-XXVC in FIG 25A ; and
• 26A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators in a relay according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure.
• 26B a front view of the moving element and the stators in FIG 26A , and
• 26C FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element and the stators taken along a line XXVIC-XXVIC in FIG 26A .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing embodiments of the present disclosure, difficulties which the inventor of the present application found will be described below.

In a conventional relay, in contact portions of movable contacts and fixed contacts, a current flows inversely in areas where the movable contacts and the fixed contacts face each other. As a result, an electromagnetic repulsive force (hereinafter referred to as “electromagnetic contact portion repulsive force”) is generated. The electromagnetic contact portion repulsive force acts to separate the movable contacts and the fixed contacts. Accordingly, an elastic force of a contact pressure spring is selected to limit the separation between the movable contacts and the fixed contacts due to the electromagnetic repulsive force.

However, since the electromagnetic contact portion repulsive force increases with an increase in current value, the spring force of the contact pressure spring increases with an increase in current value. Accordingly, a physical size of the contact pressure spring is increased, and further a physical size of the relay is increased.

the JP-A-2011-228245 (the the U.S. 2001/0241809 A1 ) discloses a relay in which separation between movable contacts and fixed contacts is restricted by a Lorentz force acting in a direction opposite to a contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force. Specifically, a magnet is disposed adjacent to the movable member, and the movable member is subject to the Lorentz force acting in the opposite direction with the use of a current flowing in the movable member and a magnetic flux generated in the magnet to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force.

The Lorentz force generated by the current and the magnetic flux are proportional to the current value and a magnetic flux density. However, in the relay described above, since the electromagnetic contact portion repulsive force is proportional to a square of the current value, the movable contacts and the fixed contacts may separate from each other during energization with a large current.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following respective embodiments, identical or equivalent portions are denoted by the same reference numerals or symbols.

(First embodiment)

1 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a relay according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, which is a cross-sectional view of the relay taken along a line II in FIG 2 . 2 13 is a cross-sectional view of the relay taken along a line II-II in FIG 1 . 3A 13 is a plan view of a movable member 23 and stators 13 in FIG 1 , 3B is a plan view of the movable member 23 in 3A , and 3C 13 is a plan view of the stators 13 in FIG 3A .

As in 1 and 2 As shown, the relay according to the present embodiment has a base 11 and a cover 12 . The base 11 is made of resin. The base 11 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and defines a housing space 10 therein. The cover 12 is made of resin and is coupled to the base 11 to close an opening portion of the housing space 10 at one end of the base 11 .

The base 11 is fixed with two stators 13 . Each of the stators 13 has a plate shape and is made of an electrically conductive metal. Each of the stators 13 has one end portion placed inside the housing space 10 and the other end portion placed in Rich direction of an outer space protrudes. In the following description, one of the stators 13 is called "first stator 13a" and the other is called "second stator 13b".

At an end portion of each stator 13 adjacent to the housing space 10, fixed contacts 14 made of an electrically conductive material are fixed by swaging. Each of the stators 13 is formed with a load shift terminal 131 coupled to an external wire harness (not shown). The load circuit terminal 131 of the first stator 13a is coupled to a power supply (not shown) through the external wiring harness, and the load circuit terminal 131 of the second stator 13b is coupled to an electric load (not shown) through an external wiring harness.

A cylindrical coil 15 which generates an electromagnetic force during energization is coupled to the base 11 to cover an opening portion of the housing space 10 at the other end of the base 11 . The coil 15 is coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU) through the external wiring harness, and the coil 15 is energized through the external wiring harness.

A flanged cylindrical plate 16 made of a magnetic material is interposed between the base 11 and the coil 15, and a yoke 17 made of a magnetic metallic material is on a side of the coil 15 opposite the base 11 and an outer peripheral side of the coil 15 are arranged. The plate 16 and the yoke 17 are fixed to the base 11. FIG.

A fixed core 18 made of a magnetic material is disposed in an inner peripheral space of the coil 15, and the fixed core 18 is held by the yoke 17. As shown in FIG.

A movable core 19 made of a magnetic metal is arranged at a position opposite to the fixed core 18 in the inner peripheral space of the coil 15. As shown in FIG. The movable core 19 is held by the plate 16 slidably.

A return spring 20 which biases the movable core 19 toward an opposite side from the fixed core 18 is interposed between the fixed core 18 and the movable core 19 . During energization of the coil, the movable core 19 is attracted toward the fixed core 18 against the return spring 20 .

The plate 16, yoke 17, fixed core 18 and movable core 19 configure a magnetic path of the magnetic flux induced by the coil 15. FIG.

A shaft 21 made of metal penetrates through the movable core 19 and is fixed to the movable core 19 . One end of the stem 21 extends from the fixed core 18 toward the opposite side, and the end of the stem 21 is molded into an insulating glass 22 made of resin having excellent electrical properties Insulation provides, fitted. The movable core 19, the stem 21 and the insulating glass 22 configure a movable member of the present disclosure.

A movable member 23 formed of an electrically conductive metal plate is disposed in the housing space 10. As shown in FIG. A contact pressure spring 24 which biases the movable member 23 toward the stators 13 is interposed between the movable member 23 and the cover 12 .

Movable contacts 25 formed of an electrically conductive metal are fixed to the movable member 22 at respective positions facing the fixed contacts 14 by swaging. When the movable core 19 is driven toward the fixed core 18 by an electromagnetic force, the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 come into contact with each other.

The detailed configuration and arrangement of the stator 13 and the movable element 23 are described below with reference to FIG 1 until 3C to be discribed.

An arrow C in 3A until 3C represents a flow of current in the movable element 23 and an arrow D in 3A until 3C represents a flow of current in the stators 13. In the present description, an arrangement direction of the two movable contacts 25 (right and left directions on a paper plane in 1 until 3C ) called “arranging direction of the moving contact”. A moving direction of the movable member 23 (up and down directions on the plane of the paper in 1 and vertical direction on the paper plane in 2 and 3A until 3C ) is called the "direction of movement of the movable element". A direction perpendicular to both the arrangement direction of the movable contact as well as the direction of movement of the moving element (vertical direction on the plane of the paper in 2 and 3A until 3C ) is called "reference direction Z".

The movable member 23 has two movable contact mounting plates 230 to which the respective movable contacts 25 are fixed, and two movable member outer side plates 231 which are placed outside the movable contact mounting plates 230 in the movable contact arrangement direction.

The movable contact mounting plates 230 and the movable member outer side plates 231 extend parallel to the reference direction Z and are coupled to each other at one end side in the extending direction. Also, the other end sides of the two movable member outer side plates 231 in the extending direction are coupled with a movable member coupling plate 232 . The movable member coupling plate 232 extends in the movable contact arranging direction.

The movable element 23 has a spring support plate 233 which supports the contact pressure spring 24 . The spring support plate 233 is placed between the two movable contact mounting plates 230, protrudes from an intermediate portion of the movable member coupling plate 232 in a longitudinal direction thereof, and extends in the reference direction Z.

A shape of the movable member 23 in a planar view is line symmetrical with respect to a line E as shown in FIG 3B is shown.

Each of the stators 13 has a fixed contact mounting plate 132 on which the fixed contact 14 is fixed, and a stator outer side plate 133 which is outside of the fixed contact mounting plate 132 in the arranging direction for the movable contact is placed.

Each fixed contact mounting plate 132 and each stator outer side plate 133 extends parallel to the reference direction Z, and they are coupled to each other at one end side in the extending direction.

When viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, the entire area of the movable member outer side plates 231 overlaps with a part of the stator outer side plates 133, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are located adjacent to each other. Hereinafter, the overlapping and neighboring areas are called “neighborhood areas Ra”. In 3A until 3C the neighborhood areas Ra are indicated by a grid design for the purpose of description.

In the neighborhood areas Ra, the shapes and arrangements of the stators 13 and the movable element 23 are set so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stators 13 .

The portions of the movable member 23 configuring the neighborhood areas Ra, i.e., the movable member outer side plates 231, correspond to neighborhood plate portions of the movable member. Also, the areas of the stators 13 that configure the neighborhood areas Ra, that is, the areas of the stator outer side plates 133 that overlap with the movable member outer side plates 231 in the moving direction of the movable member correspond to stator neighborhood plate portions.

The operation of the relay according to the present embodiment will be described below. First, when the coil 15 is energized, the movable core 19, the shaft 21 and the insulating glass 22 are attracted toward the fixed core 18 against the return spring 20 by the electromagnetic force. The movable member 23 is biased by the contact pressure spring 24 and moves while following the movable core 19 . As a result, the movable contacts 25 come into contact with the opposing fixed contacts 14, and the two load circuit terminals 131 are electrically coupled with each other, and a current flows through the movable member 23. After the movable contacts 25 come into contact with the fixed contacts 14, the movable core 19 is further moved toward the fixed core 18, so that the insulating glass 22 and the movable members 23 move away from each other.

When the two load circuit terminals 131 are electrically coupled to each other, a direction of the current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of the current flowing in the stators in the neighborhood areas Ra. Thus, attraction, ie, Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stators 13 in the neighborhood areas Ra. Hereinafter the attraction in the neighbor shank areas R called "inter-plate attraction Ra".

In cases where a current path in the neighborhood areas Ra is a route (that is, when the current path in the neighborhood area Ra does not diverge), the inter-plate attraction Ra can be calculated from the following equation (1).

Inter-plate attraction Ra = (µ ₀ * i/2 * n * r) * L * i= (µ ₀ / 2 * π * r) * L * i ² ... (1) where "µ ₀ " a is magnetic permeability of fluid between the movable element 23 and the stator 13, “i” is a current value of current flowing in the neighborhood area Ra, “r” is an opposing distance between the movable element 23 and the stator 13 in the neighborhood area Ra is in a state where the movable contacts 25 are in contact with the fixed contacts 14, and “L” is a length of the neighborhood area Ra.

As is clear from the equation (1), in cases where the current path in the neighborhood area Ra is a route, the inter-plate attraction Ra is proportional to the square of the current value, ie (i ² ). In contrast, in cases where the current path diverges into two routes in the neighborhood area Ra, the inter-plate attraction Ra is proportional to ½ * i ² . Therefore, the relay according to the present embodiment can obtain the inter-plate attraction Ra twice as much as in cases where the current path diverges into two routes in the neighborhood area Ra.

The movable member 23 is attracted to the stators 13 by the inter-plate attraction Ra. In other words, the movable member 23 is biased in a direction of bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to the inter-plate attraction Ra. The force by which the movable member 23 is biased due to the inter-plate attraction Ra acts against a contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be restricted.

On the other hand, when the coil 15 is de-energized, the movable core 19 and the movable member 23 are biased toward the opposite side from the fixed core 18 against the contact pressure spring 24 due to the return spring 20. With this operation, the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts 14 and the two load circuit terminals 131 are decoupled from each other.

According to the present embodiment, since the inter-plate attraction Ra is proportional to the square of the current value, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be restrained with certainty even during power supply with a large current . As a result, the spring force of the contact pressure spring 420 can be selected to be smaller, the contact pressure spring 24 can be made smaller, and furthermore the relay can be made smaller.

(Second embodiment)

A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 4A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 4B is a plan view of the movable member 23 in 4A and 4C 13 is a plan view of the stators 13 in FIG 4A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those of the first embodiment will be described below.

As in 4A until 4C 12, when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, a part of the movable member coupling plate 232 overlaps with a part of the fixed contact mounting plates 132, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are located adjacent to each other. Hereinafter, the overlapping and adjacent areas are called “neighborhood areas Rb”. In 4A until 4C the neighborhood areas Rb are indicated by grid designs for the purpose of description.

In the neighborhood areas Rb, the shapes and arrangements of the stators 13 and the movable element 23 are set so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stators 13 .

The areas of the movable member 23 configuring the neighborhood areas Rb correspond to the neighborhood plate portions of the movable member. Also, the areas of the stator 13 configuring the adjacency areas Rb correspond to the stator adjacency plate portions.

In the present embodiment, a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stators 13 in the neighborhood areas Rb. Thus, attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stators 13 in the neighborhood areas Rb. Hereinafter, the attraction in the neighborhood regions Rb is called “inter-plate attraction Rb”.

The movable member 23 is attracted toward the stators 13 by not only the inter-plate attraction Ra but also the inter-plate attraction Rb. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

In the present embodiment, the inter-plate attraction Rb acts on one side of each of the contact portions (hereinafter referred to as “contact-contacted portions”) of the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 in the reference direction Z. Thus, the movable member 23 slightly tilted by the inter-plate attractions Rb. As a result, portions of the movable member 23 and the stators 13 other than the contacts may contact each other, making a current or voltage unstable, or the movable member 23 vibrates to generate noise.

Under the circumstances as in a first modification of the second embodiment shown in 5 As shown, three fixed contacts 14 and three movable contacts 25 may be provided, and the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 may be arranged such that a line connecting the three fixed contacts 14 and a line connecting the three movable Contacts 25 connecting each form a triangle when viewed along the direction of movement of the movable element. According to this configuration, since three contact-contacted portions are provided, the movable member 23 is prevented from vibrating, and further the above-described malfunction caused by vibration of the movable member 23 can be restrained.

Likewise, as in a second modification of the second embodiment, which is 6 As shown, a permanent magnet for expanding an arc generated when the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts 14 may be provided.

The permanent magnet 26 is disposed between the movable contact mounting plates 230 and the outside plates 231 of the movable member. Directions of the current and the magnetic flux are chosen so that the Lorentz force acting on the movable element 23 by the current flowing in the movable element 23 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 in the direction to transfer the movable contacts 25 in contact with the fixed contacts 14 acts. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

Furthermore, as in a third modification of the second embodiment shown in 7 As shown, the permanent magnet 26 for extending the arc generated when the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts 14 may be disposed between the movable contact mounting plates 230 and the spring support plate 233 . In this case, the direction of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 can be freely selected regardless of the direction of the current flowing in the movable member 23 .

(Third embodiment)

A third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 8th 13 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, only portions different from those of the second embodiment will be described.

As in 8th 1, the position of the first stator 13a is changed in the present embodiment. In more detail, the load circuit terminal 131 (refer to FIG 2 taken) of the first stator 13a and the load circuit terminal 131 (refer to FIG 2 ) of the second stator 13b at a diagonal position of the base 11 (refer to FIG 2 ) outside.

Also, the shapes of the movable member 23 and the stators 13 are changed in accordance with the change in position of the first stator 13a. As in 8th 1, the shapes of the movable member 23 and the stators 13 are changed to a point symmetrical shape with respect to a point F in a planar view.

In more detail, the movable element coupling plate 232 is divided into a first movable element coupling plate 232a adjacent to the first stator 13a and a second movable element coupling plate 232b adjacent to the second stator 13b. One end side of the first movable member coupling plate 232a and the second movable member coupling plate 232b are coupled to the movable member outer side plates 231, and the other end side of the first movable member coupling plate 232a and the other end side of the second movable member coupling plate 232b movable members are coupled to each other through the spring support plate 233 .

When viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, part of the first movable member coupling plate 232a and part of the second movable member coupling plate 232b overlap with part of the fixed contact mounting plates 132, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are adjacent arranged to each other. In 8th the overlapping and neighboring areas are called "neighborhood areas Rb", which are indicated by grid designs for descriptive purposes. In the neighborhood regions Rb, the inter-plate attraction Rb, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stators 13.

In the present embodiment, the inter-plate attractions Rb, which are the attractions of the neighborhood regions Rb, are generated on one side of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z, and also on the other side of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z. As as a result, the posture of the movable member 23 is stabilized.

As in a first modification of the third embodiment shown in 9 As shown, the permanent magnet 26 may be provided to extend the arc generated when the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts.

The permanent magnet 26 may be interposed between the movable contact mounting plates 230 and the spring support plate 233 . The directions of the current and the magnetic flux are chosen so that the Lorentz force acting on the movable element 23 by the current flowing in the movable element 23 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 is in the direction to move of the movable contacts 25 in contact with the fixed contacts 14 acts.

With the above configuration, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted. Also, since a magnetic force is efficiently generated at a portion where a power supply is concentrated, the Lorentz force acting on the movable member 23 by the current flowing in the movable member 23 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 acts can be increased.

(Fourth embodiment)

A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 10A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, and 10B 13 is a plan view of the stators 13 in FIG 10A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the second embodiment will be described.

As in 10A and 10B 1, in the present embodiment, the first stator 13a and the second stator 13b have the same shape.

More specifically, the first stator 13a comprises the fixed contact mounting plate 132 on which the fixed contact 14 is fixed, and a stator inner side plate 134 sandwiched between the fixed contact mounting plates 132 and the second stator 13b (ie, inside the Arrangement direction of the movable contact) is placed.

Also, the shape of the movable member 23 is changed in accordance with the above configuration. As in 10A and 10B 1, the shape of the movable member 23 is changed to a point-symmetrical shape with respect to a point F in a planar view.

More specifically, the movable-element coupling plate 232 is divided into the first movable-element coupling plate 232a adjacent to the first stator 13a and the second movable-element coupling plate 232b adjacent to the second stator 13b. One end side of the first movable member coupling plate 232a and the second movable member coupling plate 232b are coupled to the movable member outer side plates 231, and the other end side of the first movable member coupling plate 232a and the other end side of the second movable member coupling plate 232b movable members are coupled to each other through the spring support plate 233 .

When viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, a part of the second movable member coupling plate 232b overlaps with a part of the fixed contact mounting plate 132, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are located adjacent to each other. In 10A and 10B the overlapping and neighboring areas are called “neighborhood area Rb”, which are indicated by grid designs for descriptive purposes. In the neighborhood area Rb, the inter-plate attraction becomes b, which. is the Lorentz force is generated between the movable element 23 and the stators 13 .

Also, when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, part of the spring support plate 233 overlaps with part of the stator inner side plate 134 in the first stator 13a, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are located adjacent to each other. In 10A and 10B the overlapping and neighboring areas are called "neighborhood area Rc", which are indicated by grid designs for description purposes.

In the neighborhood area Rc, the shapes and arrangements of the stators 13 and the movable element are selected so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stators 13 . As a result, the attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stators 13 also in the neighborhood area Rc.

The area of the movable member 23 configuring the neighborhood area Rc corresponds to the neighborhood plate portion of the movable member. Also, the area of the stator 13 that configures the neighborhood portion Rc corresponds to the stator neighborhood plate portion.

In the present embodiment, since the first stator 13a and the second stator 13b have the same shape, the cost of the components of the stators can be reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)

A fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 11A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. 11B is a plan view of the movable member 23 in 11A , and 11C 13 is a plan view of the stators 13 in FIG 11A . Hereinafter, portions different from those in the second embodiment will be described.

As in 11A until 11C As shown, the movable member 23 has the two movable contact mounting plates 230 on which the respective movable contacts 25 are fixed, and two inner side movable member plates 234 which are positioned inside the movable contact mounting plates 230 in the arrangement direction of the moving contact are placed.

The movable contact mounting plates 230 and the movable member inner side plates 234 extend parallel to the reference direction Z and are coupled to each other at one end side thereof in the extending direction. Also, the other end sides of the two movable member inner side plates 234 in the extending direction are coupled to each other by a movable member coupling plate 232 . The movable member coupling plate 232 extends in the movable contact arranging direction.

The movable element 23 has a spring support plate 233 which supports the contact pressure spring 24 . The spring support plate 233 is placed between the two inner side movable member plates 234, protrudes from an intermediate portion of the movable member coupling plate 232 in the longitudinal direction thereof, and extends in the reference direction Z.

The stators 13 have the fixed contact mounting plates 132 on which the respective fixed contacts 14 are fixed and the stator inner side plates 134 which are placed inside the fixed contact mounting plates 132 in the arrangement direction of the movable contact. Each of the fixed contact mounting plates 132 and each of the stator inner-side plates 134 extends parallel to the reference direction Z and is coupled to each other at an end side thereof in the extending direction.

When viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, the entire area of the movable member inner side plates 234 overlaps with a part of the stator inner side plates 134, and the overlapping portions of the respective plates are located adjacent to each other. Hereinafter, the overlapping and neighboring areas are called “neighborhood area called che Rd. In 11A until 11C the neighborhood areas Rd are indicated by grid designs for description purposes.

The shapes and arrangements of the stators 13 and the movable element 23 are selected in the neighborhood areas Rd so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stators 13 . As a result, the attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stators 13 also in the neighborhood regions Rd. The movable member 23 is attracted toward the stators 13 by attraction of the neighborhood regions Rd. Accordingly, the separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

The portions of the movable element 23 configuring the adjacency regions Rd, i.e., the movable element inner side plates 234 correspond to the stator adjacency plate portions. Also, the areas of the stator 13 configuring the neighborhood areas Rd, i.e., the areas of the stator inner side plates 134 overlapping with the movable member inner side plates 234 in the moving direction of the movable member, correspond to the stator neighborhood plate sections.

The adjacency regions Rd are located between the fixed contact 14 of the first stator 13a and the fixed contact 14 of the second stator 13b, and the fixed contacts 14 are placed at the outermost of the respective stators 13 in the movable contact arranging direction. Also, the movable contacts 25 are placed at the outermost of the respective movable members 23 in the movable contact arrangement direction.

Incidentally, the contact-contacted portions are likely to generate heat. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 are arranged outermost in the movable contact arrangement direction, so that a distance between one contact-contacted portion and the other contact-contacted portion can be increased ( ie, the heat source is dispersed), and the contact-contacted portions can be brought closer to the base 11 cooled by the external air. As a result, the heat radiation of the contact-contacted portions can be conducted efficiently, so that a temperature increase of the contact-contacted portions can be suppressed.

As in a first modification of the fifth embodiment shown in 12 As shown, the permanent magnet 26 for extending the arc generated when the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts 14 may be provided.

The permanent magnet 26 is disposed between the movable contact mounting plates 230 and the movable member inner side plates 234 . The directions of the current and the magnetic flux are chosen so that the Lorentz force acting on the movable element 23 by the current flowing in the movable element 23 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 is in the direction to move of the movable contacts 25 in contact with the fixed contacts 14 acts. With the above configuration, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

Also, since the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 are arranged outermost in the movable contact arranging direction, an arc blocking space is easy to secure.

Furthermore, as in a second modification of the fifth embodiment shown in 13 As shown, the permanent magnet 26 for extending the arc generated when the movable contacts 25 move away from the fixed contacts 14 may be provided outside the movable contact mounting plates 230 in the movable contact arranging direction.

In this case, the Lorentz force acting on the movable member 23 by the current flowing in the movable member 23 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 becomes smaller than that in the first modification of the fifth embodiment. Accordingly, the Lorentz force does not always have to be conserved. As a result, the direction of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 26 can be freely selected regardless of the direction of the current flowing in the movable member 23.

Also, since the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 are arranged outermost in the movable contact arranging direction, it is easy to secure an arc blocking space.

Furthermore, as in a third modification of the fifth embodiment shown in 14A until 14C and 15 As shown, three fixed contacts 14 and three movable contacts 25 may be provided, and the fixed contacts 14 and the movable contacts 25 may be arranged such that a line connecting the three fixed contacts 14 and a line connecting the three movable contacts 25 connects each form a triangle when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. According to this configuration, since three contact-contacted portions are provided, the movable member 23 is prevented from vibrating, and further the malfunction caused by the vibration of the movable member 23 can be restrained.

(Sixth embodiment)

A sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 16A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. 16B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 16A and 16C 14 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 taken along a line XVIC-XVIC in FIG 16A .

In the present embodiment, the movable member 23 is downsized, and only portions different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

As in 16A until 16C 1, the movable element 23 is formed in a delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the arrangement direction of the movable contact, and the entire area of the movable element 23 corresponds to the vicinity plate portion of the movable element.

The second stator 13b has a stator parallel plate 135 which is disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 and extends parallel to the movable member 23 (i.e., in the movable contact arranging direction). The stator parallel plate 135 and the fixed contact mounting plates 132 are coupled to each other by a bent stator coupling plate 136 .

The stator parallel plate 135 and the movable member 23 are arranged in a positional relationship so that they are shifted from each other in the reference direction Z and do not overlap with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. Also, the stator parallel plate 135 and the movable member 23 are shifted from each other in the moving direction of the movable member. In more detail, the stator parallel plate 135 is placed on the fixed contact mounting plate 132 side of the movable element 23 as viewed in the movable contact arranging direction as shown in FIG 16C is shown.

The entire area of the movable element 23 is located adjacent to a part of the stator parallel plate 135, and hereinafter the adjacent areas are called “adjacent areas Re”. In 16A the neighborhood areas Re are indicated by grid designs for the purpose of description.

In the neighborhood areas Re, the shape of the second stator 13 b is selected so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 135 . More specifically, the stator coupling plate 136 is bent at a plurality of portions when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. As a result, a direction of current flowing in the second stator 13 b is changed so that the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 135 is the same as the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 .

A region of the stator parallel plate 135 which is located adjacent to the movable member 23, i.e., the neighborhood region Re of the stator parallel plate 135 corresponds to the stator neighborhood plate portion.

In the present embodiment, the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as the direction of current flowing in the stators 13 in the neighborhood area Re. As a result, the attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stator parallel plate 135 also in the neighborhood area Re. Hereinafter, the attraction in the neighborhood areas Re is called "inter-plate attraction Re".

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction of bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of inter-plate attraction Re. Consequently, the separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to of the electromagnetic contact portion repulsive force can be further restricted.

Also, according to the present embodiment, the movable member 23 can be downsized and the movable member 23 is driven smoothly to reduce operation noise.

(Seventh embodiment)

A seventh embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 17A 13 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. 17B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 17A , and 17C 14 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 taken along a line XVIIC-XVIIC in FIG 17A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the sixth embodiment will be described.

As in 17A until 17C 1, the second stator 13b is divided into two by one end of the fixed contact mounting plate 132 and has two stator parallel plates 135 and two stator coupling plates 136. As shown in FIG.

The stator parallel plates 135 are disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 to sandwich the movable member 23 therebetween, and extend parallel to the movable member 23 (i.e., the movable contact arranging direction).

In the present embodiment, the inter-plate attractions Re, which are the attractions of the neighborhood regions Re, are generated on one side of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z, and also on the other side of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z. Als as a result, the posture of the movable member 23 is stabilized.

Also, according to the present embodiment, the movable member 23 can be downsized and the movable member 23 is driven smoothly to reduce operation noise.

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction of bringing the movable contacts 25 against the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of inter-plate attraction Re. Accordingly, the separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

Also, according to the present embodiment, the current flowing in the second stator 13b is divided into two currents by the respective stator parallel plates 135 and the respective stator coupling plates 136 . As a result, cross-sectional areas of the respective stator parallel plates 135 and the respective stator coupling plates 136 can be reduced, thereby facilitating a bending process in manufacturing the second stator 13b.

(Eighth embodiment)

An eighth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 18A 13 is a plan view showing a movable element and stators 13 in a relay according to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. 18B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 18A , and 18C 13 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 taken along a line XVIIIC-XVIIIC in FIG 18A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those of the sixth embodiment will be described.

As in 18A until 18C 1, the first stator 13a also has the same shape as that of the second stator 13b. That is, the first stator 13a has the stator parallel plate 135 disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 and extending parallel to the movable member 23 (ie, the movable contact arranging direction). The stator parallel plate 135 and the fixed contact mounting plates 132 are coupled to each other by the bent stator coupling plate 136 .

The stator parallel plate 135 of the stator 13a and the movable member 23 are arranged in a positional relationship so that they are shifted from each other in the reference direction Z and not overlapped with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. Also, the stator parallel plate 135 of the first stator 13a and the movable member 23 are shifted from each other in the moving direction of the movable member. In more detail, the stator parallel plate 135 is placed on the fixed contact mounting plate 132 side of the movable element 23 when positioned in the movable contact arranging direction as shown in FIG 18C shown is considered.

The entire area of the movable element 23 is located adjacent to a part of the stator parallel plate 135 of the first stator 13a. In 18A are the neighborhood areas Re for Descriptive purposes indicated by grid designs.

In the neighborhood areas Re, the shape of the first stator 13a is selected so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as a direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 135 of the first stator 13a. More specifically, the stator coupling plate 136 of the first stator 13a is bent at a plurality of portions when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. As a result, a direction of current flowing in the first stator 13a is changed so that the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 135 of the first stator 13a is the same as the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 flows.

In the present embodiment, the current flowing in the respective stator parallel plates 135 becomes twice that in the seventh embodiment, and hence the total inter-plate attraction Re also becomes twice that in the seventh embodiment. Accordingly, the separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

(Ninth embodiment)

A ninth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 19 14 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

As in 19 As shown, the movable member 23 is L-shaped when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. The movable member 23 has three movable contacts 25, and the movable contacts 25 are arranged so that a line connecting the three movable contacts 25 forms a triangle when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member.

The first stator 13a has a fixed contact (not shown) at a position facing a movable contact 25 .

The second stator 13b is divided into two pieces and has a first branched plate 137 and a second branched plate 138 which are different from each other in length. The respective branched plates 137 and 138 are provided with the fixed contacts (not shown) at the movable contacts 25 facing positions.

The first branched plate 137 is located adjacent to the movable member 23 and extends parallel to the movable member 23. The adjacent areas are called “neighborhood areas Rf”. In 19 the neighborhood areas Rf are indicated by grid designs for description purposes.

In the neighborhood areas Rf, the shapes and arrangements of the stators 13 and the movable element 23 are selected so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as the direction of current flowing in the first branched plate 137 .

The area of the movable member 23 configuring the neighborhood areas Rf corresponds to the neighborhood plate portion of the movable member. Also, the area of the stators 13 configuring the neighborhood regions Rf, i.e., the first branched plate 137 corresponds to the stator neighborhood plate portion.

In the present embodiment, in the neighborhood region Rf, the attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the first branched plate 137. Hereinafter, the attraction in the neighborhood area Rf is called "inter-plate attraction Rf".

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of the inter-plate attraction of the Rf. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

According to the present embodiment, since the movable member 23 and the stators 13 can be simplified in shape, the cost of the components of the movable member 23 and the stators 13 can be reduced.

Furthermore, since three contact-contacted portions are provided, vibration of the movable member 23 is restricted, and further the malfunction caused by vibration of the movable member 23 can be restricted.

(Tenth embodiment)

A tenth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 20 12 is a diagram showing configurations of a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay and an external electric circuit according to the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, only portions different from those of the first embodiment will be described.

As in 20 1, the movable element 23 is formed in a delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the arrangement direction of the movable contact, and the entire area of the movable element 23 corresponds to the vicinity plate portion of the movable element.

The first stator 13a is divided into a first main stator 13am and a first sub-stator 13as. The first main stator 13am has a substantially delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a fixed contact (not shown) at a position facing the movable contact 25 . The first sub-stator 13as has a substantially slender rectangular parallelepiped shape and is connected to a power supply 91 through an external harness 19 . The first main stator 13am and the first sub-stator 13as are electrically coupled to each other through an external wire harness 92 .

The second stator 13b is divided into a second main stator 13bm and a second sub-stator 13bs. The second main stator 13 bm has a substantially delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a fixed contact (not shown) at a position facing the movable contacts 25 . The second sub-stator 13bs has a substantially delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape and is grounded through an external wire harness 93 .

The second main stator 13bm and the second sub-stator 13bs are electrically coupled to each other through an external wire harness 94 . An electrical load 95 is also arranged in the external cable harness 94 .

The first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs are arranged adjacent to the movable member 23 and extend parallel to the movable member 23 (i.e., the arranging direction of the movable member).

The entire area of the movable element 23 is located adjacent to parts of the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs. In 20 the neighborhood regions Rg are indicated by lattice designs for description purposes.

In the neighborhood regions Rg, the arrangements of the movable element 23, the first main stator 13am, the first sub-stator 13as, the second main stator 13bm and the second sub-stator 13bs are selected so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same such as a direction of current flowing in the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs.

Regions of the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs which are adjacent to the movable member 23, i.e., the neighborhood regions Rg of the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs correspond to the stator neighborhood plate portions.

In the present embodiment, the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is the same as the direction of current flowing in the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs in the neighborhood regions Rg. As a result, the attraction, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and each of the first sub-stator 13as and the second sub-stator 13bs also in the neighborhood regions Rg. Hereinafter, the attraction in the neighborhood regions Rg is called “inter-plate attraction Rg”.

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction of bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of inter-plate attraction Rg. Accordingly, the separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

According to the present embodiment, the movable member 23 can be downsized, and the movable member 23 is driven smoothly to reduce operation noise.

Furthermore, since the movable element 23, the first main stator 13am, the first sub-stator 13as, the second main stator 13bm and the second sub-stator 13bs can be shaped simply, the cost of the components of these stators is reduced.

(Eleventh embodiment)

An eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 21A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure, and 21B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 21A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

As in 21A and 21B 1, the movable element 23 is formed in a substantially delicate rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the arrangement direction of the movable contact, and the entire area of the movable element 23 corresponds to the vicinity plate portion of the movable element.

The second stator 13b has a stator parallel plate 139 which is disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 and extends parallel to the movable member 23 (i.e., the movable member arranging direction). The stator parallel plate 139 and the fixed contact mounting plates 132 are coupled to each other by a stator coupling plate 140 .

The stator parallel plate 139 faces a surface of the movable member 23 opposite to the fixed contact mounting plates 132 . Also, when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member, a part of the stator parallel plate 139 overlaps with the movable member 23, and the overlapping portions are located adjacent to each other. The neighboring areas are called "Neighborhood Areas Rh". In 21A and 21B the neighborhood areas Rh are indicated by grid designs for the purpose of description.

In the neighborhood areas Rh, the shape of the second stator 13 b is set so that a direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to a direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 . As in 21B 1, a boundary between the fixed contact mounting plate 132 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees, and a boundary between the stator parallel plate 139 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees. With this configuration, a direction of current flowing in the second stator 13 b is changed so that the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 .

The neighborhood area Rh of the stator parallel plate 139 corresponds to the stator neighborhood plate portion.

In the present embodiment, the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 in the neighborhood areas Rh. Thus, a force acting in a direction of moving the movable member 23 away from the stator parallel plate 139 is generated in the neighborhood areas Rh. In other words, in the neighborhood areas Rh, the repulsive force, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stator parallel plate 139 . Hereinafter, the repulsive force in the neighborhood areas Rh is called "inter-plate repulsive force Rh".

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to the inter-disk repulsive force Rh. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be restricted.

Since the inter-plate repulsive force Rh is proportional to the square of the current amount, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be restrained with certainty even during energizing with a large current.

(Twelfth embodiment)

A twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 22 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a relay according to the twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure, which corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along a line XXII-XXII in FIG 23 is recorded. 23 13 is a cross-sectional view of the relay taken along a line XXIII-XIII in FIG 22 . 24A 12 is a plan view showing the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in the relay in FIG 22 displays, 24B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 24A and 24C 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line XXIVC-XXIVC in FIG 24A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the eleventh embodiment will be described.

As in 22 until 24C As shown, the second stator 13b has the stator parallel plate 139 which is disposed adjacent to the movable members 23 and extends parallel to the movable member 23 (ie, the movable contact arranging direction). The stator parallel plate 139 and the fixed contact mounting plate 132 are coupled to each other through the stator coupling plate 140 .

The stator parallel plate 139 and the movable member 23 are arranged in a positional relationship so that they are shifted from each other in the reference direction Z and not overlapped with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. Also, the stator parallel plate 139 and the movable member 23 are shifted from each other in the moving direction of the movable member. In more detail, the stator parallel plate 139 is placed on a side of the movable member 23 opposite to the fixed contact mounting plate 132 when it is arranged along the movable contact arranging direction as shown in FIG 24C is looked at.

The entire area of the movable element 23 is located adjacent to a part of the stator parallel plate 139, and hereinafter the adjacent areas are called “adjacent areas Ri”. In 24A the neighborhood areas Ri are indicated by grid designs for descriptive purposes.

In the neighborhood areas Ri, the shape of the second stator 13b is set so that the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 . As in 24B 1, a boundary between the fixed contact mounting plate 132 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees, and a boundary between the stator parallel plate 139 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees. With this configuration, a direction of current flowing in the second stator 13 b is changed so that the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 .

A region of the stator parallel plate 139 which is located adjacent to the movable member 23, i.e., the neighborhood region Ri of the stator parallel plate 139 corresponds to the stator neighborhood plate portion.

In the present embodiment, the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 in the neighborhood areas Ri. Thus, a force acting in a direction to move the movable member 23 away from the stator parallel plate 139 is generated in the neighborhood areas Ri. In other words, in the neighborhood areas Ri, the repulsive force, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stator parallel plate 139 . Hereinafter, the repulsive force in the neighborhood areas Ri is called "inter-plate repulsive force Ri".

The movable member 23 is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts 25 into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of the inter-disk repulsive force Ri. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the electromagnetic repulsive force of the contact portion can be restricted.

Also, the stator parallel plate 139 and the movable member 23 are arranged so that they do not overlap with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. Thus, a space is formed on a side of the movable member 23 opposite to the fixed contact mounting plate, and the contact pressing spring 24 can be arranged in the space.

(Thirteenth Embodiment)

A thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 25A 13 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure. 25B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 25A , and 25C 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line XXVC-XXVC in FIG 25A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the twelfth embodiment will be described.

As in 25A until 25C As shown, the second stator 13 is from one end of each assembly Fixed contact plate 132 is branched into two parts and has two stator parallel plates 139 and two stator coupling plates 140 .

The two stator parallel plates 139 are disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 so as to sandwich the movable member 23 therebetween, and extend parallel to the movable member 23 (i.e., the movable contact arranging direction).

In the present embodiment, the inter-plate repulsive force Ri, which is the repulsive force of the vicinity region Ri, is generated on one side of each of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z and also on the other side of each of the contact-contacted portions in the reference direction Z. As a result, the posture of the movable member 23 is stabilized.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the current flowing in the second stator 13 b is divided into two currents by each stator parallel plate 139 and each stator coupling plate 140 . As a result, the cross-sectional areas of the respective stator parallel plates 139 and the respective stator coupling plates 140 can be reduced, thereby facilitating a bending process in manufacturing the second stator 13b.

(Fourteenth Embodiment)

A fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 26A 12 is a plan view showing a movable element 23 and stators 13 in a relay according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure. 26B 13 is a front view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 in FIG 26A , and 26C 14 is a cross-sectional view of the movable element 23 and the stators 13 taken along a line XXVIC-XXVIC in FIG 26A . Hereinafter, only portions different from those in the twelfth embodiment will be described.

As in 26A until 26C 1, the first stator 13a also has the same shape as the second stator 13b. That is, the first stator 13a has the stator parallel plate 139 which is disposed adjacent to the movable member 23 and extends parallel to the movable member 23 (ie, the movable contact arranging direction). The stator parallel plate 139 and the fixed contact mounting plate 132 are coupled to each other through the stator coupling plate 140 .

The stator parallel plate 139 of the first stator 13a and the movable member 23 are arranged in a positional relationship so that they are shifted from each other in the reference direction Z and not overlapped with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. Also, the stator parallel plate 139 of the first stator 13a and the movable member 23 are shifted from each other in the moving direction of the movable member. In more detail, the stator parallel plate 139 is on a side of the movable member 23 opposite to the fixed contact mounting plate 132 when viewed along the movable contact arranging direction as shown in FIG 26C is shown placed.

The entire area of the movable element 23 is located adjacent to a part of the stator parallel plate 139 of the first stator 13a. In 26A the neighborhood areas Ri are indicated by grid designs for descriptive purposes.

In the neighborhood areas Ri, the shape of the first stator 13a is selected so that the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 of the first stator 13a. More detailed is as in 26B As shown, a boundary between the fixed contact mounting plate 132 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees, and a boundary between the stator parallel plate 139 and the stator coupling plate 140 is bent at 90 degrees. With this configuration, a direction of current flowing in the first stator 13 a is changed so that the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 .

In the present embodiment, the direction of current flowing in the movable element 23 is opposite to the direction of current flowing in the stator parallel plate 139 in the neighborhood areas Ri. Thus, a force acting in a direction to move the movable member 23 away from the stator parallel plate 139 is generated in the neighborhood areas Ri. In other words, in the neighborhood areas Ri, the repulsive force, which is the Lorentz force, is generated between the movable member 23 and the stator parallel plate 139 . Hereinafter, the repulsive force in the neighborhood areas Ri is called "inter-plate repulsive force Ri".

The movable member 23 is movable toward a direction for moving Contacts 25 are biased into contact with the fixed contacts 14 due to a component force of the inter-disk repulsive force Ri. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be restricted.

In the present embodiment, a current flowing in each of the stator parallel plates 139 is twice that in the twelfth embodiment. Therefore, a total inter-plate repulsive force Ri is also twice as large as that in the twelfth embodiment. Accordingly, separation between the movable contacts 25 and the fixed contacts 14 due to the contact portion electromagnetic repulsive force can be further restricted.

(Other embodiments)

In the above respective embodiments, the movable core 19 is attracted toward the fixed core 18 by the electromagnetic force of the coil 15 . Alternatively, the movable core 19 may be driven toward the fixed core 18 by a driving means other than the spool 15.

Also, in the above respective embodiments, the fixed contacts 14 of various components are fixed to the respective stators 13 by swaging. Alternatively, a protrusion may be formed on each of the stators 13 by a press work, for example, so as to protrude toward the movable member 23, and the protrusion may function as the fixed contact.

Similarly, in the above respective embodiments, the movable contacts 25 of various components are fixed to the movable member by swaging. Alternatively, protrusions may be formed on the movable member 23 by a press work, for example, so as to protrude toward the stator 13, and the protrusions may function as the movable contacts.

The above respective embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other within a practical range.

Claims (7)

A relay comprising: two stators (13) each having a plate shape and each having a fixed contact (14), and a movable member (23) having a plate shape and having movable contacts (25) which are in an arrangement direction of the movable contact, the movable member (23) being movable in a moving direction of the movable member so that the movable contacts (25) respectively come into contact with the fixed contacts (14) to complete an electric circuit , and wherein the moving contacts (25) separate from the fixed contacts (14) to open the electrical circuit, the moving element (23) having two moving contact mounting plates (230) on which respectively the moving contacts (25 ) are fixed, a coupling plate (232) for the movable element, which extends in the arrangement direction of the movable contact and two plates (231, 234) for the moving similar members placed outside or inside the movable contact mounting plates (230) in the movable contact arranging direction, wherein the movable contact mounting plates (230) and the movable member plates (231, 234) are parallel to a reference direction (Z), that is, perpendicular to both the arranging direction of the movable contact and the moving direction of the movable member, and coupled to each other at one end side in the reference direction (Z), with another end side connected to the coupling plate (232) for the movable member is coupled, each stator (13) having a fixed contact mounting plate (132) to which the fixed contact (14) is fixed, and a stator plate (133, 134) disposed outside or inside the mounting plate (132) for the fixed contact is placed in the arranging direction for the movable contact, wobe i the fixed contact mounting plate (132) and the stator plate (133, 134) extend parallel to the reference direction (Z) and are coupled to each other at one end side in the reference direction (Z), each of the stators (13) having a stator neighborhood - having a plate portion adjacent to the movable element (23), and wherein the movable element (23) has a vicinity plate portion of the movable element adjacent to the stators (13), wherein a direction of current flowing in the stator vicinity plate portions, is chosen to be the same as a direction of current flowing in the adjacent plate portion of the movable element to generate an inter-plate attractive force for attracting the adjacent plate portion of the movable element to the stator adjacent plate portions, and wherein the Adjacency disk section of the movable element by the inter-disk adjacency hung force is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts (25) into contact with the fixed contacts (14). relay after claim 1 wherein the stator adjacency plate portions and the adjacency plate portion of the movable member are disposed between the fixed contact (14) of one of the stators (13) and the fixed contact (14) of the other stator (13). Relay that has: two stators (13) each having a plate shape and each having a fixed contact (14); and a movable member (23) having a plate shape and having movable contacts (25) arranged in a movable contact arranging direction, the movable member (23) being movable in a movable member moving direction so that the movable contacts (25) each coming into contact with the fixed contacts (14) to close an electrical circuit and the movable contacts (25) separating from the fixed contacts (14) to open the electrical circuit, each of said stators (13) having a stator-adjacent plate portion adjacent said moveable member (23), and said moveable member (23) having a moveable-member adjacency plate portion adjacent said stators (13), wherein a direction of current flowing in one of the stator adjacent plate portions is selected to be opposite to a direction of current flowing in the adjacent plate portion of the movable member to generate an inter-plate repulsive force which is in a direction for separating the adjacent plate portion of the movable member from the stator adjacent plate portions, and wherein the adjacency plate portion of the movable member is biased toward a direction for bringing the movable contacts (25) into contact with the fixed contacts (14) by the inter-plate repulsive force, and wherein the stator adjacency plate portion and the adjacency plate portion of the movable member are arranged in a positional relationship so that they are displaced from each other in the reference direction (Z), that is, perpendicular to both the arrangement direction of the movable contact and the moving direction of the movable member are such that they do not overlap with each other when viewed along the moving direction of the movable member. relay after claim 3 wherein one of the two stators (13) includes a fixed contact mounting plate (132) to which the fixed contact (14) is fixed and a stator parallel plate (139) disposed adjacent to the movable member (23), wherein the stator parallel plate (139) and the fixed contact mounting plate (132) are coupled by a stator coupling plate (140), a part of the stator parallel plate (139) being disposed adjacent to the movable member (23), is the stator adjacency portion (Ri), wherein the stator parallel plate (139) and the movable member (23) are arranged in a positional relationship so as to be shifted from each other in the reference direction (Z) and the stator parallel plate (139). a side of the movable member (23) opposite to the fixed contact mounting plate (132) when viewed along the arrangement direction of the movable contact. relay after one of Claims 1 until 4 , further comprising: a magnet (26) which is arranged adjacent to the movable element (23), wherein a Lorentz force generated by the current flowing in the movable element (23) and a magnetic flux of the magnet ( 26) is generated acts in a direction to bring the movable contacts (25) into contact with the fixed contacts (14). relay after one of Claims 1 - 5 , wherein the two stators (13) have three of the fixed contacts (14), and the movable element has three of the movable contacts (23), and each of which has a line connecting the three fixed contacts (14) and a line, connecting the three movable contacts (25) forms a triangle when viewed along a moving direction of the movable member (23). relay after one of Claims 1 - 6 , further comprising: a coil (15) which generates an electromagnetic force during energization; a movable member (19, 21, 22) which is attracted by the electromagnetic force of the coil (15); and a contact pressing spring (24) biasing the movable member (23) in a direction to bring the movable contacts (25) into contact with the fixed contacts (14), wherein when the movable member (19, 21, 22) passes through the electromagnetic force of the coil (15) is attracted, the movable component (19, 21, 22) moves away from the movable member (23), and the movable member (23) is biased by the contact pressure spring (24) so that the movable contacts (25) come into contact with the fixed contacts (14).

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